Jesus christ. Yes, *if* your parents have health insurance (and this is by no means guaranteed), and if you're a full-time student, their insurance will probably cover you for a few years. It's not necessarily going to be until you finish with school though, especially if you're aiming for anything past a bachelor's degree. If you're less than full-time (say, because you have to work to pay your way and can't afford full-time even then), you're fucked there. Work? Well...if you know an unskilled job with insurance and flexible hours that would permit going to college at the same time, I'd sure as hell like to know about it, 'cause I couldn't find one. And I'm lucky. I can afford (barely) to go to college and I'm bright and have a reasonable work ethic and have managed to keep the same job for something like 7 years now, so I can probably find someplace that will hire me full time and offer me insurance, once I'm out of school. There's plenty of people who haven't got that prospect. That are out there working multiple full time jobs right now and *still* don't have insurance.

(In case you're wondering, yes, I absolutely want universal health care. I have fucking nightmares about my lack of insurance. Seriously. They're not fun.)

Laugh track? I don't think they have them. It's taped live. And it's a fucking bitch to get tickets. My sister has tickets for April and she got them back in September.They do have an "applause" light though.

But yeah, it's harder for sarcasm to come across in text. There's no "tone" to it or at least no tone that's easy to detect.

That being said, Colbert is a god. I thought he was the funniest thing about Jon Stewart's show until he got his own. Now I just catch the last five minutes of The Daily Show just to catch Colbert's intro.

Here's my addition to the conversation.

When I was living in Mexico I got a severe laceration had to be admitted to the emergency room, needed 18 stiches, given my fare share of drugs. Total cost: $40.

Also while living in Mexico I tore a ligament, went to the hospital, got an ex-ray, an anti-inflammation shot in the ass (from a hot Mexican nurse), and was given a two week supply of drugs. Total cost: $25.

Now, I dunno if that fits into universal health care, but I can tell you what. If I had to go through that in the states I'd be paying hospital bills to this day.

Context: I was working at an archaeological site during the rather intense initial period of 'exploration', thus the injuries.

Although a universal healthcare plan sounds good, we can't even figure out a national plan yet. I'd settle for that right now.

Yea, it is a bit difficult to sense sarcasm. Sadly, I argue with alot of people that are off the deep end. This article wasn't that far off from similar arguements I've had. Forgive me if you all haven't had similar experiances. Seriously no need to be jaded assholes about it. Fucking A.

L2behumble

As a hint, when you're reading the articles, follow the sources and read them. Typically if they align with the bile that was spewed, you can guess that the person was being serious. If they completely contradict or were clearly written by a journalist trying to be neutral you probably have sarcasm on your hands. Or if the article was written by FTR...

Deep breath...

I am a US citizen. I run a company with offices in the US and the UK. I spend about half of my life at each location. Occasionally I spend extended periods living exclusively in each location (2-3 years). I recognize income in both countries and I am taxed in each country, which is later netted (too complex to discuss here).

We operate a Limited Liability Company (LLC) and pay our own individual healthcare insurance. My annual US healthcare insurance costs $12,800 and we incur $6,600 - $9,000 each year in additional healthcare related costs. We are a healthy family with no serious or recurring illness.

I use the healthcare systems in both countries. The two systems seem about equivalent in terms of quality of care. I can always see a doctor more quickly in the UK than in the US. The US hospitals appear more modern and efficient, but from my experience, little difference exists between the actual care one receives. One of our children was born in London.

Expenses associated with healthcare, those associated with medical research, and pharma are segregated by the healthcare industry, government, and those of us in the investment banking industry. Don't commingle the expenses, because they are not directly related or relevant to the discussion.

The US leads the world in per capita expense for healthcare. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), says the US spends about 50% more than the next highest country and approximately 130% more on average. For your money, the US has fewer hospital beds, nurses, and doctors per capita than the median. If you are serviced by a rural hospital, your services are limited and are likely to continue to decline. We run a fund for rural community hospitals whose operating profits across the nation are generally non-existent averaging around one-tenth of one percent.

A revamping of the current healthcare system is required regardless of the way forward, and a national health plan that extends coverage to all Americans is the right thing for this country and its people.

And before the Ayn Rand fans wade in with their tepid attempts to convince this investment banker that objectivism is the only way forward I remind you:
1. This nation's national highway system and most of it's transportation, fresh water, sewer treatment, electrical power, and even its telephony infrastructure would not exist if development had been left to private enterprise to meet an unmet market need. The government had to undertake these national efforts.
2. Ayn Rand was a fucking novelist

Finally, for those of you who believe that all an American must do is hike their bootstraps and lower their heads and plow forward to success; I have an oxen cart here that needs to be moved.

I just wanna mention for your consideration and it might not mean squat, but in terms of Research and Development for pharmaceuticals America spends a vast amount more than any other country. This is part of the reason health care costs are so high. Certainly, it's not the only reason, but it is a major one, and it's not going to go away if we want to continue to have access to our 'designer' drugs. Consequently, this is one of the reason Canandians enjoy low healthcare costs. They reap the benefits of our research with little to no investment. I know I haven't provided any facts or links or what not, but this is coming from the son of a Dean of a Medical School, Chairman of a Hospital, CEO of a physicians group, and Editor and Chief of a Medical Journal. I get to hear him bitch about it more often than I'd like.

This seems backwards to me. It seems that prescription drugs researched, tested, and then produced by companies here in the States should be cheapest to those living in the States.

Who do you think pays for it?

Healthcare industry expenses are unrelated to pharmaceutical research, and marketing expenses. They are two separate "buckets." There is zero credence to any claim that US healthcare shoulders expense for other medical infrastructures.

The world benefits from US pharma research and development by gaining access to the finished product. The pharma companies benefit by gaining access to those markets. The pharma companies benefit from US patent protection, often extended on request beyond the "limits" imposed by patent law or afforded similar intellectual properties. Pharma companies aggressively prosecute patent protection.

It is less expensive and easier to market US developed pharma products to US medical facilities and practitioners. It is also easier for non US developed pharma products to be marketed to US medical facilities and practitioners, perhaps explaining why access to pharma within the US is better than other medical infrastructures. This same accessibility increases the number of and size of prescription remedies, which in turn contributes to US healthcare costs. So, yes, the US is paying for global pharma research, but it comes from your pocket because we are a "willing market."

And yet, in a twisted form of "gotcha" US pharma companies are NOT necessarily the world leaders in revenues or in research related expenditure. Four of the top eight pharma companies in the world are headquartered outside the US; Sanofi, Novartis, AstraZeneca, and LaRoche.

Seriously, maybe you should read before you go off on a rant. I said it is part of the reason, and that is is 'certainly not the only reason.' Basic fact, high cost of drugs effects medical care, because dispensing drugs are part of medical care, even if ONLY you are considering the cost of prescription drugs which is PART of healthcare ad nauseum.

As to paragraph four, I don't suppose all four of the other top eight or in a single country?

Seriously, maybe you should learn to combine fact finding with writing skills.

What you said was

(on pharma research and development) and

and

And I said you fail to understand the situation and economics.

I need to correct something I said earlier; 5 of the largest pharma companies are US, and 5 are European. One of those 5 in the US was the result of confiscation by the US.

The top 5 US pharma companies spent nearly exactly the same amount on R&D as the top 5 European pharma companies; around $20BB (2005).

In summary you assert that high US health care costs are largely attributable to high US pharma R&D; to which I said, bullshit - you don't understand economics.

The world medical systems share the cost of R&D. It is paid as a percentage of revenue derived through the sale of pharma products. US healthcare DOES NOT fund R&D because R&D is funded from pharma profits (or investors). Most pharma companies enjoy worldwide sales.

What makes US healthcare so expensive is the appetite for pharma compared to other healthcare systems. It has nothing to do with R&D and anyone who asserts otherwise struggles for a basic grasp of economics.

I think you misread my post. I was saying that it is backwards that we pay more for prescription drugs that are developed and manufactured by U.S. companies.

I like the part where FTR says " We are in deep shit here." I lol'd @ that. If people missed the sarcasm even after reading that line, you're missing something.